The present invention relates to an apparatus for the collection of objects from a surface.
The collection of objects dispersed about a surface, as for example, nuts or golf balls, is a time-consuming, difficult task to accomplish manually. Consequently, there have been proposed numerous devices for the mechanical collection of objects from a surface. The majority of these devices are complex and cumbersome.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,355 to McBride, for example, discloses a collecting device to be attached to the front of a vehicle. The device consists of a pair of cage-like cylindrical components having parallel but axially displaced axes of rotation. The mismatch in the axis of rotation causes one of the cage-like members to disengage objects in the grasp of the other member engaging the objects to be collected. The configuration of the cage-like members of this device, in addition to being complex, results in the device being prone to clogging and the collection of undesirable products from the surface over which the device is passed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,744,255 and 3,613,341 to Reeves, both discloses nut-harvesting machines with a plurality of driven discs. The discs define chambers in which the nuts are retained once placed within the discs.
These references and the prior art in general disclose devices for collecting objects from surfaces that are unduly cumbersome and complex. The complexity of such devices not only makes such devices expensive to manufacture and maintain, but increases the weight of such devices to a degree that when nuts are collected, the device may crush nuts that do not correctly engage with the grasping portion of the device.
Furthermore, where objects of various sizes are to be collected, the presence of a larger object between adjacent discs may force the discs apart to a degree that smaller objects near the larger ones are not retained. By providing a disc with a plurality of segments, this disadvantage of prior art devices is alleviated.
A further advantage of the present invention is the ease of adjustment of the spacing between the adjacent discs. This allows the device to be readily altered to collect different types and shapes of objects or to be adjusted to a spacing that most efficiently engages the objects to be collected.
Further advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiment, or may be learned by practice of the invention.